Concrete and like building block or slab



A. c.. MATTHEWS.

CONCRETE AND LIKE BUILDING BLOCK OR SLAB. AFPucATlou FILED 050.21, 1920.

' Patented June 27, 1922.

" ice.

CONCRETE AND LIKE Bump ng s oc on SLAB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1922.

Application filed December 21, 192( Serial N9. 32,272.

To all 20 7mm it may concem:

Be it known that I, ALFRED CHAnLEs Mn'r'rHnws, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain and Ireland, and a resident of the city of Melbourne, inthe county of Bourke, State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Ans tralia(whose post-office address is Collins House, 360 Collins Street, in thesaid city of Melbourne), have invented new and useful Improvements inand Connected with Concrete and like Building Blocks or Slabs, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to building blocks Or slabs of concrete, cement,clay and like material and its object is to provide im proved blocks andmeans or method of uniting a series of such blocks to form a wall or thelike.

The invention enables a monolithic construction to be obtained withoutthe use of forms or moulds and also provides for pre liminarilyretaining the blocks together when assembled and prior to thepouring inor introduction of plastic material to form vertical columns or cores bywhich the blocks are permanently held in position. This feature providesa distinct advantage over somewhat similar blocks at present in use asit dispenses with the necessity of introducing the plastic material tohold the blocks together as each successive tier is erected.

The invention consists briefly in providing the blocks with outstandingribs which project from one side of the block and are adapted, when aseries of the blocks are placed opposite each other to form the innerand outer sections of a double wall and with the ends of opposite ribsabutting, to form vertical passages or enclosures to accommodate theaforesaid vertical columns which are formed by pouring plastic materialinto said vertical enclosures after the blocks have been assembled. Incombina tion with the aforesaid ribs the blocks are provided withsuitable metal reinforcement which is embedded within the blocks duringthe formation of the latter. The metal reinforcement of each block isprovided with projecting ends or anchor portions which protrude throughthe side of the block adjacent the ribs and into the vertical enclosuresbefore mentioned. Thus by uniting these projecting ends or anchorportions of the einforcement of adjoining blocks within the verticalenclosures the blocks are held together until the material to form thevertical columns is poured intothe enclosures. The fastened anchorportions of the reinforcement are then embedded in said columns andbesides serving to hold tlie blocks securely together also act as areinforcement for the columns. By the formation "of strengthening ribson the inner surfaces of the block, the invention also provides for thesaving of material without unduly weakening the block structure.

Referring to the drawings which form part of this specification Figure 1is a plan of one form of building block or slab in accordance with theinvention. l

Figure 2 is a view of another form of block for use in connection withblocks of the kind seen in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a plan of an external corner block accordance withtheinvention.

Figures 4; and 5 are plans of internal corner blocks in accordance withthe invention.

' Figure 6 is a view looking at the inner side of the block seen inFigure 1.

Figure 7 is an enlarged view showing one manner of uniting theprojecting anchor portions of the reinforcement of opposite blocks.

Figures 8 and 9 show modified methods of uniting the anchor portions ofthe metallic reinforcemen Figure-1.0 is a perspective view of a buildingblock in accordance with the invention and having strengthening ribsmoulded on its inner surface as is preferred.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the corner portion of a wall showingthe invention in use. i

In carrying out the invention certain blocks 2 are provided with anintermediate pair of integral ribs 3 which project from one side of theblock near its middle and extend verticallythereof. These intermediateribs form between them a vertical channel indicated at 4:, which formshalf of one of the vertical passages or enclosures referred to andindicated by the numeral 5.

Other blocks 6 are provided with end ribs 7 one of which is disposednear each end of the block. These .end' ribs are adapted to cooperatewith the intermediate ribs 3 of opposite blocks to form the verticalenclosures 5..

As seen in Figure 12 the vertical joints 8 between the ends .ofadjoining blocks, forming the inner section of a double wall, aredisposed out of alignment or in staggered relation with the verticaljoints between opposite blocks of the outer section of the wall so thatmoisture cannot pass directly through the vertical joints of the innerand outer wall sections. It will be apparent from Fig. 11 of thedrawings that the horizontal joints on the inner and outer sections ofthe wall are ofiset or out of alignment, this result being accomplishedin the usual or preferred manner. The joints 8 and 9 are grouted withmortar or the like in the usual manner. The outer or abutting ends 11 ofthe ribs forming the enclosures referred to may also be grouted in thesame manner. To provide a larger jointing surface around the edges ofthe blocks, the top and bottom and ends thereof may be thickened orenlarged as at 12 in Figure 10 which also shows strengthening ribs 13extending across the inner face of'the block. The provision of theseribs permits of a saving of material in the body of the block withoutunduly weakening it.

The corner block seen in Figure 3 is provided with a major body portionlet, a minor body portion 16 at right angles to the portion 14:, and asingle outstanding rib 17 W'hen blocks of this type are fitted into thecorner of a building as in Figure 12 the parts 16 and 17 form part ofone of the vertical enclosures 5.

The blocks illustrated in Figures 41: and 5 may also be used at cornersas shown in Figure l1 and comprise a straight body portion 18 from whicha rib 19 outstands near one end of the block this rib forming part ofone of the enclosures 5 when the blocks are assembled.

In combination with the foregoing each block has embedded Within itduring manufacture, a metal reinforcement 21 of any suitable nature,such as netting, expanded metal, wire or the like. This reinforcement isprovided as aforesaid with projecting ends or anchor portions 22. In thecase of the intermediately ribbed blocks as seen in Figure 2 theseprojecting anchor portions 22 protrude into the vertical channel 4between the intermediate ribs 3. In the case of blocks having end ribsas in Figure 1 said anchor portions or ends protrude through the innerside of the block between each end thereof and the adjacent rib 7. Inall cases the projecting ends or anchor portions of the reinforcementare so disposed as to be located within'the enclosures 5 when the blocksare assembled.

The projecting anchor portions may be looped or otherwise suitablyshaped to facilitate the fastening together of the anchor portions ofadjacent blocks within the vertical enclosures formed by the ribs whenthe blocks are assembled to form a double wall.

into the channel formed between the ribs 3 the intermediate portion ofthe reinforcement being bent outwardly in this manner.

The anchor portions of the reinforce- 'ments may be fastened togetherin-any suitablemanner a particularly convenient means consisting indisposing vertical reinforcing rods or wires 23 within the verticalenclosures and twisting or passing the anchor portions around saidvertical rods as in Figures 7 and 11. Other suitable fastening means mayhowever be employed for instance as in Figure 8 the anchor portions ofboth the types of block seen in Figures 1 and 2 may be formed byprojecting ends of the reinforcement which are twisted together afterthe blocks have been assembled. Or as in Figure 9 separate pieces ofwire 24 5 may be used to unite the anchor portions.

hen a series of blocks have been assembled to form a double wall andwith the ends 11 of the ribs of opposite blocks abutting, as in Figures7 to 9 and 11, a series of the vertical enclosures 5 of substantiallyrectan ular cross section are formed between the blocks of the inner andouter wall sections. These enclosures divide the air space 29 betweenthe inner and outer wall sections into a series of compartments. Theprojecting ends or anchor portions of the reinforcement are now fastenedtogether by passing around the vertical rods or wires 23 so that theseries of blocks are firmly held together prior to the pouring in of thematerial to form the vertical columns 28. A considerable section of awall or the like may thus be erected before the plastic material isintroduced into the enclosures 5. It will be seen that by arranging theinner and outer wallsections in stepped relationship or with thehorizontal joints 9 out of alignment as in Figure 12, the projectinganchor portions of the reinforcement are easily accessible for fasteningtogether as aforesaid.

' When the plastic material is subsequently poured into the enclosures5' between the inner and outer wall sections the blocks are securely andpermanently locked together 115 and the columns 28 are effectivelyreinforced by the anchor portions of the reinforcement which arepermanently embedded therein.

By the invention a building may be erected in a minimum of time and withlittle 120 labor and skill and the assembled blocks may be temporarilyretained together by the connected anchor portions of the reinforcementprior to the introduction of the ma terial to form the columns 28. Theresult- 125 ant structure is moreover extremely strong owing to theeffective locking together of the blocks and the existence of the metalreinforcement throughout the blocks and the vertical columns. r

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A wall structure made up of plate-likeslabs having lateral offsets, the offsets of certain of the slabsvarying in their relations to the ends of the slabs with respect to theoffsets of other slabs, whereby with the slabs in wall formation theoffsets define plastic material receiving channels extending verticallyof the wall while through mortar joints are avoided, and metallic slabtying members leading from the respective slabs to and through saidchannels.

2. A wall structure comprising slabs having offsets near the endsthereof, and slabs having offsets near the central portion thereof, saidslabs being arranged in wall formation with the offsets of adjacentslabs of the first mentioned type cooperating with offsets of the slabsof the second mentioned type to form plastic material receiving channelsextending vertically of the wall,

the variations in the position of the offsets of the respective slabsavoiding through mortar oints in the wall formation.

8. A wall structure comprising slabs having offsets near the endsthereof, slabs having offsets near the central portion thereof, saidslabs being arranged in wall formation with the offsets of adjacentslabs of the first mentioned type cooperating with offsets of the slabsof the second mentioned type to form plastic material receiving channelsextending vertically of the wall, the variations in the position of theoffsets of the respective slabs avoiding through mortar joints in thewall formation, and metallic tying members secured in the slabs andhaving free ends adjacent the respective offsets to thereby provide fortying the slabs transverse the material receiving channels.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

A. C. MATTHEWS.

itness:

VICTOR J. KELSON.

